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Lawmakers make token effort to address flawed school finance system

Lawmakers make token effort to address flawed school finance system

Republican Dan Huberty of District 127 speaks during a press conference outlining House Bill 21 March 6 about House Bill 21, which would provide $1.6 billion in additional resources for education.RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL/AMERICAN-STATESMAN

Since there was no hope of the Texas Legislature adequately addressing the state’s unconstitutional school finance system, Eanes school district Superintendent Tom Leonard appears to be content with the token alternative detailed in a story on page 1 of this issue: House Bill 21. An old adage seems to apply there: “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

If approved, the bill by state Rep. Dan Huberty would add $210 per student for more than 95 percent of the state’s school districts. For Eanes, that would mean approximately $1.15 million more in the 2018 budget. School districts have learned well throughout history and have apparently learned to plan for the absolute worst-case scenario when it comes to state funding for education.

For more than three decades, school districts have battled the state of Texas claiming that the state’s “Robin Hood” school finance system is unconstitutional based on repeatedly flawed formulas for taking funding from taxes raised in property wealthy school districts and redistributing it in districts with less property wealth. The Supreme Court of Texas has repeatedly upheld those claims, and only a tweaked version of the flawed system has been served up as an alternative.

Lawmakers appear to be content in the perpetual care of lawyers who are getting rich buying the state time to find a solution to the unconstitutional school finance system. Unfortunately, barring lawmakers coming up with a new revenue source to adequately fund education, court battles are likely for another few decades.